Grades 9-12 (OPSPARC 2017)

1. What criteria constraints should you consider as you create a new use for the technology?Some constraints that I should consider is the cost of the product. The lattice design itself is cost dependant on the material used, so the price of the material must be cost effective. One other thing that should be taken into consideration is the material itself. It should be able to support the load of a house and also be able to move and bend when seismic waves hit it. 2. What criteria will be the most difficult to meet? Why?The most difficult criteria that I will have to meet in the project is finding an appropriate material for the design. I must first find a material that can support the load of an entire house. If it cannot support a small residential building, then I will be unable to use that material for the lattice structure. One other attribute that the material must possess is the ability to flex and move when the force of earthquakes hit them. If the material stays brittle, than the purpose of the lattice structure will be obsolete. Lastly, the material must be cost effective. It must be cost effective because it can then be implemented on a large scale. If it has too high of a cost, then the design will be impractical and unaffordable on a consumer level.3. Describe, in detail, possible designs that met your criteria.Graphene is one of the materials I researched. It is an extremely strong and light metal. It has 200 times more strength than steel, and has the ability to bend and move. It is made up of bonded carbon atoms, and is thinner than a human hair. The material does fit the constraints of the properties needed, however, it is a very expensive material. One other material that I have found is a material that was researched and made by Hanso Kim and a team of material scientists at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea. The material they found is a very strong and flexible type of steel. Not only does this material fit these constraints, but it is also one tenth of the cost as titanium. It is much cheaper and stronger than Graphene.4. For your winning design, justify why it was selected over other designs.I have chosen to pursuit my project using the ultrastrong, low density steel developed by the material scientist team from South Korea. I have chose this material over graphene because it is much cheaper. Although graphene does possess flexibility and strength, it does not have a practical price to implement into my design.

1.How well would it function? Discuss some of its possible strengths and weaknesses.I believe that some of the strengths of my design include its ability to be reused more than once, unlike some of the leading designs in Japan. Also, my design has inexpensive materials, and can be implemented on a large commercial scale. Although my design has benefits, it does have some potential flaws. My design does have the risk of getting damaged during an earthquake. Unlike other designs, mine would be much harder to repair if damaged when an earthquake hits. The entire lattice would most likely have to be replaced.2.Share what you have learned through trial and error.One thing that I have learned is I must increase the strength of the design even more to reduce the risk of damage. In order to do this, i have added supports on the side of my design. I have also added a large base plate platform that the house will be able to sit on. In the event of an extremely strong earthquake, the house will be able to stand if the lattice is damaged and needs to be repaired. Having the house elevated will make the repair process much more convenient.3.Suggest ways that you might improve your design.As mentioned earlier, repairs for the design are a major concern. Because of this, one way I could improve my design is to make it more accessible to repairing when damaged during high wave of force. I have improved my design by adding pillars on all four sides in order to slightly raise the structure off of the ground. I could also improve my design by increasing the amount of force the lattice can withstand by choosing a stronger material. I chose the material based off of strength and cost, not just strength. Because of this, my design is not going to be as strong as it could possibly be.

1.In your own words, what is Spinoff technology?NASA Spinoffs are pieces of technology that were designed with the original intent to use them for space operations. These pieces of technology are then modified so that they are applicable for everyday use on earth.2.Identify a JWST Spinoff technology that you will modify to create your own Spinoff technology. Tell us about the Spinoff and how it works.I have decided to focus on the lattice structure for the project. The lattice structure that was developed by NASA with the ability to reduce vibrations created by engines. With a three-dimensional grid, one side of the lattice structure is movable to allow the design to absorb the vibrations. The other side of the structure then has less vibrations that it needs to endure. The design can withstand a wide range of vibration strengths3.State the problem clearly.Places around the world suffer from devastating earthquakes. Many people die or get injured due to structures falling on them.4.What have you learned that may lead to an innovative JWST Spinoff technology?I have learned that earthquakes are not what kills people. It is the structures that fall on people that are fatal. There are engineers in Japan that are working to reduce the risks of structures falling on people. 5.Pick one Spinoff to create an invention that uses the technology to solve a problem you identify in your home, school, or neighborhood. I plan to integrate the lattice design with houses that are in areas with high seismic activity. In places like Japan, earthquakes are frequent. Many of the homes in those areas are not earthquake safe, and when earthquakes happen, there are often fatal results. By putting homes on platforms made with the lattice design, the platform can absorb seismic waves from the ground during earthquakes. One other benefit of this design is that the lattice has capabilities of absorbing a wide range of varying strengths of vibrations. By integrating this design into all homes where earthquakes are common, we can reduce the effects of seismic activity on people.6.Which mission originally used this technology?The Atlas mission used earlier designs of the lattice structure.7.What are the greatest obstacles you anticipate with designing your own Spinoff innovation?The biggest obstacle I will face is finding a material that will be flexible but also strong to support the load of a house.

Design Review

Be a JWST Researcher

Create your Own Spinoff

A lattice structure that I modeled

(Top) Layer 1(Bottom) Layer 2

An image of the lattice structure and a sketch of my application

Animation of My Design

Ethan Weed10th GradeEngineering and Science University Magnet School

Modeled Componts of My Design

Lambert, Robert J. "What Can Graphene Do? | The University of Manchester." What Can Graphene Do? | The Home of Graphene | The University of Manchester. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.Herkewitz, William. "Scientists Invent a New Steel as Strong as Titanium." Popular Mechanics. N.p., 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.